Ferdinand peaukeggee



(No Model.)

I'. PRAUNEG-GER.

COMBINED KNIFE, PORK, AND SPOON.

Patented Nov. 29,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND PRAUNEGGER, or GEATZ, AUSTRIA COMBINED KNIFE, FORK, AND SPOON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,281, dated November 29, 1881. Application filed October 18, 1881. (No model.) Patented in Austria-Hungary September 4, 1880.

'To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND PRAUNEG- GER, a citizen of Austria, residing at Gratz, in the Province of Steiermark and Empire of Austria, have invented new and useful Improvements in Knife, Fork, and Spoon Gombined, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the combination of a knife, fork, and spoon for army or tourist use; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully set forth, whereby the respective articles are left intact and adapted for separate use, while the wholeoanbebroughtintoavery smallcompass.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side view,showing the articles conjoinedand folded, the spoon being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a cross-section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, showing the knife and fork unfolded. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of the spoon, fork, and knife respectively.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the knife, B the fork, and C the spoon, namely, the blade of the knife, the tines of the fork, and the bowl of the spoon, each provided with a handle, A,B', or C', to which itis connected by a pivot, fr, allowing it to be folded or unfolded at will, the pivot ofthe spoon being a thumb-screw. The knifeA is held open or shut by a spring, o, arranged in the usual manner, and the fork B by a spring, u. (Best seen in Fig. 5, dotted lines.) The size of the knife-handle A is such, relatively to that of the fork-handle B, that it is adapted to receive the latter within it; and in order to facilitate the introduction of the forkhandle into the knife-handle the latter is left open at the tail end, this construction allowing the insertion of the fork-handle therein from such open end. The fork-handle B' also is left open at the tail end,so that when it is adjusted into the knife-handle the knife is permitted to fold into the fork-handle together with the fork. On the exterior of the fork-handle BA is formed or secured a nib, t, (see Fig. 3,) and when this handle is slid into the knife-handle A the nib is received in a groove, s, formed on the interior of the knife-handle longitudinally thereof, whereby the fork-handle is held against lateral displacement. Both the knife-handle A and fork-handleB are provided with a lateral opening, Torr', one opposite to the other, these openings being in the corresponding sides of the handles, and the spoon-handle C' is bent, forming an offset, q, whereby the major portion of the handle is brought back or away from the spoon, and is adapted to be inserted into the conjoined knife and fork handles through the openings r r bein g received in the fork-handle, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In this manner the spoon-handle C is not onlyjoined to the knife and fork handles, but also acts as a lock to prevent longitudinal displacemeutof thefork-handle in the knife-handle. A ridge, k, is formed on the spoon-handle C', transversely thereof, and the spoon is provided with a recess, o, corresponding to and opposite to theridge, both being approximately opposite to the pivotal thumbscrew of the spoon, and when the latter is either folded or unfolded the ridge enters the recess, thus effectually retaining the spoon in its position. When the spoon G is folded, and its handle is joined to the knife and fork handles, the spoonis brought outside of the knifehandle, within the ends thereof.

It will be seen that when all the partsnamely, the knife, fork, and spoon-are joined together and folded the whole is brought into a comparatively small space, while each part, at the same time, is adapted for` use independently of the remainder.

It should be remarked that, instead of fitting the fork-handle into the knife-handle, they may be reversed; also, that when the spoon is omitted the openings 1' r are dispensed with, and in that case an extraneous fastening may be employed for connecting the knife and fork handles; also, that an internal rib or ange formed on the edge of the knife-handle, orother suitable means, may be used in lieu of the nilo' t and groove s; and, further, that the ridge and groove o p can be transposed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the folding knife, the folding fork, and the knife and fork handles, one open at the tail end, and adapted to receive the other within it from such end.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the folding knife, the folding fork, the knife and fork handles,- one open at the tail end, and adapted to receive the other within it from such end, one provided with a rib, andthe other with a longitudinal groove adapted to receive the rib when the handles are put together.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forthLof the folding knife and folding fork, the knife and fork handles, one adapted to receive the other Within it, and both provided with a lateral opening, one opposite to the other, the folding spoon and the bent spoonhandle adapted to be inserted into the conjoined knife and fork handles through their openings.

4. The folding spoon and its handle connected together by means of a pivotal thumb- 15 .my hand in the presence of two subscribing zo witnesses.

FERDINAND PRAUNEGGER.

Witnesses:

HANS Ko'rfrAs, E. WINKELMANN. 

